The Indian government, led by Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi announced the launch of the India Science and Research Fellowship (ISRF) Program, inviting researchers from neighboring South Asian countries like Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal and Sri Lanka to collaborate with Indian research institutes and academia and establish partnerships.

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed by Dr Arabinda Mitra, advisor and head, International Bilateral Cooperation representing DST, India, and Prof. Mesbahuddin Ahmad, president, representing BAS, on Oct 16, 2014 in New Delhi, India, towards implementation of the Fellowship scheme for Bangladesh researchers from 2015.

The Indian High Commission in Dhaka said in a statement that the researchers will work in Indian universities and research institutions. The program requires scientists or researchers with a minimum academic qualification of PhD /M.Tech /M.Sc and 4-6 years research or teaching experience to undertake research in Indian R&D institutions.

The researchers will also enjoy perks like travel allowance, sustenance allowance, contingency grants and medical facilities, among others. Bangladesh Academy of Sciences, Dhaka (BAS) will be implementing the program in partnership with the Center for International Co-operation in Science (CICS), Chennai, India.